At the Warrior Ranch Foundation, each of the veterans – and the horses – have their own story. The Rhode Island ranch brings them together and with the help of elite horse trainers, helps them to write a new chapter.

Josh Lyons recently donated two days of his time to conduct a Warrior Ranch retreat and riding clinic.

“We are so thrilled Josh made it to Warrior Ranch,” said ranch founder Eileen Shanahan. “The Lyons horsemanship method is fantastic.” She added, “Josh has a passion for our country and the veterans.”

Josh was assisted by US Army Green Beret veteran Matt Pitt.

“I think that we have the freedom to be able to do our jobs as horsemen because of our veterans … It’s a shame they don’t always get the credit they deserve or the help that they need. So anything we can do for our veterans is huge,” Shanahan said.

Established in 2016, the non-profit seeks horses in need of rehabilitation. There are former race horses, a horse rescue, ponies with medical issues and more. Veterans of the military and first responders struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or just readjusting to civilian life, work with trainers to learn how to handle the horses, bond with them and learn how their demeanor effects that of the horses. In doing so, veterans learn to become self-aware. By recognizing their feelings and emotions they can begin to take the steps necessary to deal with them.

Veterans who have gone through the program have described it as life changing and say it helps ‘ground them.’ Their experience helps them move toward the future, better able to feel and show emotion and best of all, to help others.

The Lyons certification program and accreditation program are approved for VA Education Benefits.

Find out more about the Warrior Ranch at www.warriorranchfoundation.org You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.